Louis Schmidt Award

The Louis Schmidt Committee of the BioCommunications Association is pleased to announce that Charles A. Hedgcock, or Chip as he is known to many, is the 2016 Louis Schmidt Laureate.

Charles “Chip” A. Hedgcock is a Registered Biological Photographer and Fellow of the BioCommunications Association. His work is of the highest quality as shown by his participation in over one hundred solo and group exhibitions in galleries across North America and on an international level at places such as the Royal Photographic Society in Bath, England. He is widely published in the popular press linking science and the general public. He has created a special visual bridge that allows his work to speak to both science and art. Recently his work demonstrating the chemical defense of the Bombardier beetle was used by the New York Times. The departments he supported for his years at the University of Arizona had many cover illustrations using his work in top scientific journals. His revealing images of what he refers to as the charismatic microfauna led one critic to say “Chip is to bugs what Weston was to peppers.”

He has advanced scientific knowledge through his work at the University of Arizona and the Sky Island Alliance. His participation in expeditions to parts of the United States Southwest and the Madrean Archipelago in Sonora, Mexico has directly led to the discovery and documentation of species of flora and fauna that had previously been unknown. He is a masterful problem solver as noted in his ability to document animal behavior.

Chip willingly shares his knowledge on various levels. He publishes in a wide range of media from scientific peer review to the popular press, works as diverse as our own Journal of Biocommunication to the New York Times. He edited the information on scorpions in the recent edition of “A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert“2015, University of California Press. He lectures and conducts workshops on his techniques from a university academic level to his recent workshops at the North American Nature Photography Summit in San Diego, California. He is a frequent author and presenter of papers at the BIOCOMM meetings and often a leader at workshops.

Chip is a person of principle and integrity. His years of service to the BioCommunications Association on committees and the Board demonstrate his selfless service to the field. He also serves on boards and is active in photography and conservation organizations. All of his colleagues speak of his dedication and his generosity of spirit. A quote from a sponsor well sums up his reputation with “Chip is conscientious, highly professional, admirably ethical and deeply dedicated to using his art in service to science, natural history, and conservation.”